Word forming game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A word-forming game apparatus comprising lettered playing pieces, each having thereon one or more color bars representative of the value of the letter, such value being inversely proportional to the frequency of occurrence of the letter. The players arrange the pieces to form words, with the pieces used being selected so as to score the highest possible number of points, and are awarded chips corresponding in number and color to the color bars on the pieces played. The winner is the player having the highest count in color chips.

United States Patent Bean et a1. Apr. 11, 1972 54] WORD FORMING GAME APPARATUS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] In t rs: Frank R- Bean; Dorothy y Bean, both 747,598 4/1956 Great Britain ..273/135 D of PO. Box 6232, Anaheim, Calif. 92806 22 Filed; 4, 1971 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Att0rneyEdward Dugas [2]] Appl. No.: 120,824

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. C1 ..-273/l35 D, 273/135 AC, 273/137 R 51 Int. Cl. .nesramo A Word-forms game apparatus comprlsms lettered p y g [58] Field of Search ..273/130, 132, 135, 136, 137 Pieces, each having thereon one or more Color bars representative of the value of the letter, such value being inversely pro- [56] References Cited portional to the frequency of occurrence of the letter. The players arrange the pieces to form words, with the pieces used UNITED STATES PATENTS being. selected so as to score the highest possible number of 1,428,456 9/ 1922 Stranders ..273/ 130 E UX points, and are awarded chips corresponding in number and V 1,686,237 10/1928 H --27 l 37 R color to the 'color bars on the pieces played. The winner is the 2,071,014 2/1937 A ers I 7 3 R X player having the highest count in color chips. 3,117,789 1/1964 Wiebe.... ..273/l30 E 3,396,972 8/1968 Smith 2 73/ 135 D 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 rlf "'1hF""lF 1 Patent ed A ril 11, 1972 3,555,195

nw /vraes' P164466 2 BEA/V 0040770 40/0 554 lav (2 9 w BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Crossword puzzle games have gained in popularity throughout the years with various modifications being created to make the game both more difficult and more interesting. For example, in US. Pat. No. 1,553,835, entitled Word Forming Game," by H. W. Peters, there is disclosed a game which is made to be played by four players, each player being represented by a particular color, and holding pieces corresponding to the designated color. In play, the lettered chips used to form the words are given points each time one chip is used in the formation. Four allocated peg receptacles are used to keep track of the score by inserting scoring pins in the board allocated to a particular color.

In another prior art patent, US. Pat. No. 1,591,639, entitled Game," by E. R. MacDonald, there is provided a checkerboard like playing surface with blocks or pieces having letters representing the alphabet and also each having marked a numeral thereon. The object of the game is to achieve the highest number of points or to reach a set number of points first by completing words and capturing the opponents playing pieces. Vowels do not contain a weighted number and are not captured during play, but are left on the board in the originally placed position.

Applicant desired to improve the standard crossword game into a more difficult and interesting game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Applicants invention is directed to a crossword game using a graph-chart-type playing surface and a number of playing squares having letters imprinted thereon which squares are, in addition, color-coded with stripes (bars) and dots, with players attempting to form words with the letter squares, both horizontally and vertically, and receiving poker type chips which are color-coded to a numeric value with the numeric value corresponding to the value of the letter squares used to form the word. In addition, the player attempts to match pairs and groups of color dots to receive additional bonus points. In addition, a number of squares having a bell-shape printed thereon are designated wild squares with an additional number of squares having double vowels imprinted thereon. Some of the double vowel squares are reversible and can be played in multiple directions.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved crossword puzzle game.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a crossword game using a complex color-coded scheme to make the play of the game both more challenging and interesting.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a crossword game wherein the playing pieces are marked with color bars, dots, double vowels, wild, and without bars and dots.

The aforementioned and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and drawings, throughout which like characters indicate the like parts and which drawings form a part of this application.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the playing surface, with some of the letter squares and chips used in playing the game.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the different squares used to play the game of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the game is played on a graph chart type board which is 40 units wide and 58 units long. This size chart provides a total of 2,320 squares. Each of the letter squares (except the bell squares to be described) has at least one letter, which letter is used to compose a word, and in physical construction is thick enough to stand on edge so that players may keep the lettered surface of the square out of view of the other players. An object of the game is to make a word or words by the play of one group of letter squares for each players turn in either a vertical or horizontal position until all of the letter squares are exhausted or no additional word plays can be made.

Another object of the game is to obtain the highest possible bonus scoring factor on each formed word by correctly positioning or lining the colored dots located on the letter squares I accordingto sequences (to be defined later).

Referring to FIG. 2, the letter squares 12 used to play the game are comprised of the following combinations:

Letter square 20 has imprinted thereon a letter, three vertical color bars, from left to right, yellow, blue and red and a color dot either red, yellow, blue or none (white).

Letter square 21 has imprinted thereon a letter and two color bars which may be either a combination of yellow and blue, yellow and red, blue and red, or white and blue. A color dot is also present, the type of which may either be yellow, blue, red or none (white).

Letter square 22 has a single color bar along with a letter. The single color bar may be either yellow, blue or red. A color dot may also be present and the dot may be blue, red, yellow or white for the absence of a dot.

Letter square 23 has a letter and a dot, either blue, yellow or red.

Letter square 24 has simply a letter imprinted thereon.

Letter square 25 is a square having a horizontal line across the center and a vowel contained above and below the horizontal line, along with a color dot which is either yellow, blue, red or white.

Letter square 26 contains the vowels I and O with a horizontal line running therethrough and does not have a color dot. In play, letter square 26 can be inverted and utilized in essentially either position. In play, the letter above the horizontal line plays for a vertical word and the letter below the horizontal line plays for a horizontal word.

Letter square 27 has a picture of a bell on it and is a wild letter square and can be substituted for any desired letter. Limitations are placed on the wild square, which limitations are described in Game Rule 7. There are a total of three bell squares in the game.

Before going any further into general details of the game, it would be desirable to go over the values assigned to the letter squares. The following charts depict the values assigned to each one of the letter squares by means of color-coded bars (stripes) located vertically on the left side of each square. The number of letter squares for each of the four color-coded dots is also given.

In the second chart, which follows, the double vowel letter squares are shown with their numbers.

In the third chart, the amounts of vowels assigned to the double vowel letter squares above line and below line are shown.

CHART N0. 1

Number of Letter Squares Value letter square White (or no) dot CHART NO. 2

Number of vowel squares ;e llo w Blue Red White (or Vowels dot dot dot no) dot le e110 cue ai ie 01 ie l l we r vione we on CHARI NO. 3

Amount of double vowel letters Below line Above line A i e E 6 7 I 6 6 O 6 6 U 2 2 GAME RULES YELLOW BLUE RED WHITE (none) The letter squares that are drawn to determine the first player are then placed back into the pile, face down, and mixed.

RULE 2-DRAWING OF LETTER SQUARES FOR PLAYEach player then draws nine letter squares. After each play, each player draws back to nine letter squares. If the' player selected to make the first word play can not form a word, his turn goes to the next player. If all players fail to form a word, then the first player discards three letter squares and draws three new letter squares. If he still can not form a word,

then the player next to him discards three letter squares and draws three new letter squares, and on around with each player taking a turn until a word is formed. When a players turn comes back and the player next to him has collected poker chips form the bank, the player has the right to discard one, two or three letter squares and draw back to nine letter squares just before attempting a word.

RULE 3A game play is made when a players hand leaves a lined order of letter squares. Any misspelled word, not contested, remains as played to game. (a) Right of contesting is now in force; (b) spelling of word play or any other word formed by that word play must be correct. (Refer to Rule of Contesting); (c) turn of play goes to next player.

A game play is not made when a players hand does not leave a lined order of letter squares. (a) player is entitled to place letter squares back in hand; (b) player is now entitled to make a game play.

RULE 4-lf a word just played is contested by another player, the dictionary proves the spelling to be either correct or incorrect. Any dictionary of the American language may be used as agreed to by players. Words not permitted to be used: capitalized, foreign, abbreviations, or words with apostrophes, or hyphens. If the spelling is incorrect, the challenging player receives from the word player the number of chips the word player was to have received from the bank. (See Bank Rule 2) If the spelling is correct, the challenger pays to the word player the amount of chips the word player receives from the bank. If the contestor does not have the required number of chips, a note is made and paid off later when the chips are earned. Players have a right to contest the word in turn from the left of the word player. No discussion of a word just played is allowed between players. All letter squares played for an incorrect word (contested) are taken back by the word player and the play goes to the next player.

RULE 5-Double vowel letter squares cannot be placed or played next to each other.

RULE 6-Reversible letter squares white (no dot) only (four in the game), turned half around either way will play in a horizontal or vertical word. The letter above the horizontal line plays vertically and the letter below the horizontal line plays horizontally. The remaining red dot letter square, and the two red dot letter squares can only be played with the dot to the bottom, as must all letter squares having dots thereon. The remaining double vowel letter squares, dots or no dots, cannot be inverted for play.

RULE 7There are three bell squares in the game with each bell square being completely wild for word played or for a new word formed by that play that joins, or crosses.

Limitations are that only one bell square can be used per word and once the letter and color dot, if any, is declared by the player, it may not be changed for the game. The banker makes note of the initial selection by the player in order to avoid confusion later in the game. The wild bell square has a value of 1 RULE 8-Each color stripe on the left side of a letter square equals one color chip of the same color.

RULE 9-Single dot letter squares and no dot letter squares without stripes have a value equal to one which is equal to one white chip.

RULE l0All letter squares with a red dot on the bottom are sequence letter squares such that just these letter squares lined next to each other in a word will earn the player two same color chips for each color strip on the word.

RULE 1 l-All letter squares with no dot on the bottom are sequence letter squares and just these letter squares lined next to each other in a word will earn for the player three same color chips for each color stripe on the word.

RULE 12-Starting from the end of a formed word, strike off pairs of letter squares, each pair of yellow or blue dot letter squares with or without a white (or no) dot or red dot letter square between them defines the multiplier for each pair. For example: If the dot is yellow, two bonus color chips are awarded for each color stripe of yellow or blue dot letter square to the left or above the multiplier of the pair. If the dot is blue, one bonus color chip is awarded for each color stripe of the yellow or blue dot letter square to the left or above the multiplier of the pair.

RULE l3--A yellow or blue dot letter square placed at the beginning or end of a word to change its meaning will shift the pairing of the letter squares, earning for the player the color chips as set forth under Rule 12.

RULE l4-Changing the meaning of the word or words by the playing of one letter by a player earns the player full color chip value from the bank.

RULE -Any lone yellow or blue dot letter square not paired from right to left earns the player only one color chip for each color stripe on the letter square and only one white chip when no color stripes are on the letter square.

RULE l6(which applies to all playing rules of the game)each individual word or words made by the play of one word creates only its own individual scoring factor.

RULE 17-END OF GAME-When no more letter squares remain to be drawn, the game is over. When a player has exhausted all of the squares in his hand first, he receives from all opposing players one color chip per color stripe of letter squares remaining in their hand or when all players in turn pass and no word plays can be made in turn, the bank then receives from each player one color chip for each color stripe of letter squares remaining in their hands.

RULE 18-The player having the most count in color chips wins. Game play can extend to, but cannot cross, the boundary of the graphed chart.

RULES OF THE BANK N0. TOTAL VALUE BLACK 90 4500 YELLOW so 420 BLUE 70 2210 RED 70 140 WHITE m One person may be chosen banker for all the games played, but it is more desirable to rotate the function of banker so as to allow each player to be the banker for one game due to the handicap that the banker undertakes by not being able to study the board for periods as long as the other players.

RULE l-Banker computes the chips to be awarded the players by starting from the beginning of each word, or words, made by the player and matching bank chips, by color, to each stripe on the letter squares forming the word. A separate stack of chips is formed for each word. In addition, bonus chips are placed in a separate stack next to the chips awarded previously for the word.

RULE 2lf a word, or words, formed are contested as being incorrectly spelled, and are, in fact, incorrectly spelled,

then the banker separates stacks of chips into the same colors and informs the player forming the word that he or she must pay the player contesting the corresponding number of color chips. The bankers chips are then returned to the bank.

RULE 3-If a word, or words, are not contested, the banker passes the chips to the player making the word, or words, informing the player which stacks of chips correspond to which formed word, or words.

RULES OF PARTNERSHIP PLAY RULE l-One partner banks the chips for combined partnershi RUEE 2-SEATING ARRANGEMENTOpponents are always on each side of a player.

RULE I i-Partnership, or partnerships, will be considered as an equal number of players on each side.

RULE 4-Contesting spelling of a word or words made b the play of one word by a player:

A. No discussion of spelling or use of a word goes on between any of the players (especially between partners) I until proven by a dictionary (Refer to Game Rule No. 4).

B. A player either passes or contests.

C. Order of turn of contesting or passing is in a clockwise direction from the word player.

D. When a word is contested by a player, partners of this partnership then either pass or contest.

E. If a vote is equal, the word will not be contested. If the vote is a majority, the word will be contested.

F. A partner cannot discuss a partners word play or converse about a word play made by a partner.

RULE 5-All general rules of play and playing rules of the game apply to partnership play.

While there has been shown what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be manifest that many changes and modifications may be made there without departing from the essential spirit of the game. It is intended, therefore, in the annexed claims, to cover all such changes and modifications as may fall within the true scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A game comprising in combination:

a plurality of playing squares having a letter of one the alphabet on one surface thereof and at least one colorcoded stripe adjacent said letter, assorted squares having, in addition to said stripe, a color dot;

a plurality of playing squares having a horizontal line through the center on one surface thereof with different vowels positioned above and below said horizontal line;

a plurality of chips of colors corresponding to said colorcoded stripes; and

a graphed playing surface with each square of the graph dimensioned to receive one of said letter squares, whereby each player attempts to form words with said playing squares and chips are awarded according to color-coding of stripes and dots for formed words.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and further comprisa plurality of playing squares having a figure thereon which squaresmay be used as wild squares.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein the figure on said plurality of wild squares is a bell. 

1. A game comprising in combination: a plurality of playing squares having a letter of one the alphabet on one surface thereof and at least one color-coded stripe adjacent said letter, assorted squares having, in addition to said stripe, a color dot; a plurality of playing squares having a horizontal line through the center on one surface thereof with different vowels positioned above and below said horizontal line; a plurality of chips of colors corresponding to said color-coded stripes; and a graphed playing surface with each square of the graph dimensioned to receive one of said letter squares, whereby each player attempts to form words with said playing squares and chips are awarded according to color-coding of stripes and dots for formed words.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 and further comprising: a plurality of playing squares having a figure thereon which squares may be used as ''''wild'''' squares.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein the figure on said plurality of ''''wild'''' squares is a bell. 